Water and Fire~Chapter 57.2: Hearing the News from Her

 

Chapter 57.2: Hearing the News from Her

The next day, the project team emailed back, stating there was an error in the work report and requesting an explanation.

Chu Qianmiao opened the attached document and took a look. The error was in the final section written later by He Wei. He hadn't been at the project site, so he wasn't aware of a detail.

But He Wei insisted she reply with an explanation and send a copy to the head of the law firm.

Chu Qianmiao immediately understood that He Wei was shifting the blame onto her.

She suddenly realized what Wang Jun had said: He Wei wasn't as righteous as she'd imagined.

She missed Zhang Teng a little. Regardless of his personal life, he was a good teacher, leader, and mentor at work. He wouldn't take credit for his subordinates' work, nor would he shift the blame onto them.

She recalled Ren Yan's words on the phone: "I hope your decision is the right one."

She imagined that Ren Yan must have understood everything when he said that to her.

Chu Qianmiao felt like she had learned another lesson. It turns out Wang Jun wasn't lying. It turns out He Wei, seemingly righteous, wasn't really that righteous. This is the real workplace, where everyone's true and false, full of lies and falsehoods.

She recalled her impulsive decision: even if Jialeyuan went public, she would help He Wei complete the project before leaving. Looking back on that decision, it seemed a bit like a joke.

She thought to herself, if Ren Yan knew about this, he would definitely sneer and ridicule her. This is the ideal of human touch in the workplace you advocate. See, your human touch has once again backfired on you.

She stood by the window, gazing out at the bare branches in the distance, and asked herself, has her human touch wavered now?

She was a little confused.

She returned to the office and, as He Wei had requested, replied to the email regarding the error. After closing the email window, she opened the document, centered the title, and typed the words "Resignation Letter."

When Chu Qianmiao handed He Wei her resignation letter, she saw a hint of surprise in his eyes.

He Wei raised his eyebrows, looked at her, and asked, "Qianmiao, you don't have to resign just because I asked you to reply to an email explaining something wrong. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

Chu Qianmiao saw He Wei's true thoughts in his eyes. You're disappointed and feel wronged over such a small matter. Where can you work? Such things are not uncommon, because this is the workplace. You're not here to be a little princess, you're here to work for the boss. Otherwise, why would the team support you?

Chu Qianmiao smiled and told He Wei, "No, Lawyer He, I just want a new work environment. And Lawyer He, thank you for your care during this time. I feel like I've grown a lot." Thank you. You've made me realize that beneath the calm and gentle surface of this workplace, there is actually cunning and deception. No one should be complacent, and everyone must be vigilant.

It seems that in the workplace, scheming is not the original sin; failing to guard against the scheming of others is the original sin.

Strictly speaking, He Wei's schemes weren't outrageous. But she truly didn't want to stay at Xinfeng anymore, even if she hadn't yet found a new employer.

She didn't want to stay here any longer, in this confined space, watching a limited number of people, within their limited capabilities, intrigue, slander, and scheme against each other.

She wanted to go somewhere bigger, to see and learn. Even if there was intrigue, she wanted to see the bigger picture.

After Chu Qianmiao submitted her resignation, she had a week to hand over her project work. She took advantage of this time to start sending her resume to the investment banking departments of various securities firms.

But the resumes she sent out surprised her. They were all extremely unkind. They never returned, and they never brought back any news.

Chu Qianmiao knew that investment banking was difficult to get into, especially now. The barriers to entry for investment banks were high, and the basic requirements for practitioners were also high. Without a high degree of education and extensive work experience, it was basically impossible to get in. In addition, the recent economic downturn has led many investment banks to cut salaries and layoffs. Although Chu Qianmiao had two IPO projects on her resume, her lack of a bachelor's degree and limited experience, including only three years of experience, meant she wasn't well-received by investment bank recruiters.

But she remained undaunted, persisting in submitting her resume and patiently waiting for feedback. If you search the internet, you'll always find something.

That night, she stayed overtime at the law firm to process project materials. The firm was having a dinner that evening, but she didn't attend. She wanted to quickly sort out all the details of the project and hand it over to other colleagues so she could exit safely.

It was late autumn, early winter, and the days outside were getting shorter, reaching darkness early. She sat alone in her office, lighting only the single overhead lamp. A sliver of light pierced the darkness, giving the entire office a mysterious and quiet air.

She figured that if she worked hard, she should be able to finish the handover by tonight. While working overtime, she received a call from Zhang Teng.

Zhang Teng said he had learned from He Wei that she was planning to resign, so he called to check in.

"Qian Miao, have you decided where to go after you resign?" Zhang Teng asked.

Chu Qianmiao told him, "Lawyer Zhang, I haven't found my next job yet."

Zhang Teng asked her, "Do you want to work for me? That guy Zhou Shuqi is miles ahead of you. I'd rather you work for me, so I can save myself the worry and effort."

Chu Qianmiao thanked him for the compliment, but told him, "Lawyer Zhang, I don't want to work at a law firm anymore. I want to join an investment bank."

Zhang Teng was stunned. "Investment banks are hard to get into, and the recent downturn in the investment banking industry has made it even harder."

Chu Qianmiao smiled and said, "Yes, Lawyer Zhang, I know that. But I still don't want to work at a law firm anymore. Actually, we work in securities at law firms, and if the investment banking industry is down, our securities business will definitely be affected as well. Since everything is down, I want to go into the downturn in investment banking."

Zhang Teng sighed and smiled. "Okay, Qianmiao, call me if you need anything."

Zhang Teng put down the phone and said to the other two people sitting at the carved dining table, "She's working overtime right now. She's actually planning to quit, saying she wants to join an investment bank."

The carved dining table was located in a private room at a high-end restaurant.

Zhang Teng was having dinner with Lei Zhenzi and Ren Yan in the private room of the upscale restaurant.

He and Lei Zhenzi had known each other for a long time. It was Lei Zhenzi who introduced him to Ren Yan when he secured the Hanhai Home Textiles IPO project.

He had just finished his call and was saying to Ren Yan, "Mr. Ren, it's very difficult to get into investment banking these days. If you have a chance, why not recruit Qian Miao? She's definitely a good prospect. She's capable and smart, and the more pressure she's under, the better she'll do your job. But sometimes she's too naive and can't tolerate any flaws. She doesn't want to work with me anymore because of my infidelity. But she's truly a good person, worth nurturing."

Lei Zhenzi chimed in, rolling his eyes. "Right, right, Ren, just recruit Qian Miao and that'll be it. Everyone's happy."

Ren Yan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Lei Zhenzi yelled at him to change his drink, but he ignored him and simply replied, "I'm driving."

Putting down his teacup, he paused and made a decision. "If she sends her resume to Litong, I'll definitely accept it."

Zhang Teng breathed a sigh of relief.

Lei Zhenzi rolled his eyes. "Come on, how could Qian Miao send her resume to you? You've already turned her down."

Zhang Teng, confused, asked, "What do you mean by turned her down?"

"Oh my god," Lei Zhenzi was about to say, but Ren Yan stepped on his foot under the table.

"These shoes are new, limited edition. Ren Yan, you bastard!"

Ren Yan ignored him and said to Zhang Teng, "Nothing. We just had a disagreement on a personal matter." After a pause, he said, "But I believe she's a woman who can keep her distance. Personal matters are personal, and work is work. She shouldn't have to avoid sending her resume to Li Tong because of me."

Lei Zhenzi looked annoyed. "Oh my god, you're so stupid! Such a weird way of thinking, such a self-righteous tone, you're not only going to piss me off, but even I, her friend, am almost pissed off by you."

Ren Yan still ignored him.

Zhang Teng checked his phone, then looked up and said, "My former colleagues from Xinfeng Law Firm are having a dinner next door. They texted me, so I'll go say hello."

After Zhang Teng left, Lei Zhenzi leaned his elbows on the table, resting his chin on the back of his hands, and looked at Ren Yan with a coquettish look.

Ren Yan was picking up shrimp from his plate with chopsticks, his posture so elegant that it seemed more like he was practicing table manners than eating.

Lei Zhenzi observed his profile. His brows were firm, his nose straight, and he was incredibly handsome, yet aloof.

Lei Zhenzi rolled his peach-shaped eyes and smiled, "Ren, weren't you supposed to stay away from socializing? I asked you to come out tonight, but you refused anyway. Why did you come out when you heard Zhang Teng was coming? Who are you trying to get news on?"